A solid nature park to walk my dogs. The trails are usually well-kept, and it's never overly packed when I'm there. We're able to get a good amount of walking in without getting bored, which I really appreciate. A peaceful spot for a steady, enjoyable walk. read more

The Town of Plainfield has successfully recovered this land from The Indianapolis Airport Authority and are making some very welcome improvements. I love the new name, Echo Hollow. Perhaps it honors our precious endangered Brown Bats, who have taken up residency in our little forest? I am extremely excited to see all the changes being made in my favorite little spot to connect with nature and wear out my elderly dog. Watching the new walkway being built that will allow us to walk out over the marsh and the pond keeps bringing me back with amazement. read more

Sodalis Nature Park - Excited about this new walkway being built! - Hiking Near Me - Plainfield, Indiana

Somalis Nature Park Is an AOK place to go for a walk/hike. Tip: It's dog friendly, and the trails I"ve visited were well-maintained and clean :-) On my last visit, I noticed a pavilion with benches within and around it that I think would be good for gatherings. All the people I've run into here have been both nice, and friendly, so you could do worse than to head here ;-) read more

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Photoshoot I did at this park with a family and wanted to stay longer! So many good scenes for photos. read more

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What could be a more appropriate Halloween day review than taking a look at Plainfield, Indiana's Sodalis Nature Park. The park is named after an endangered Indiana bat called Myotis Sodalis. It is known to be found at this park, though it's only one of the various types of animals you may find when visiting this park. Sodalis initially was established as a Hendricks County park in 2010 after Hendricks County entered a lease arrangement with Indianapolis International Airport. A 210-acre park, Sodalis was transitioned to management by the town of Plainfield on 5/1/2019 when Plainfield actually ended up purchasing the land. I could not find a web page for Sodalis on Plainfield's website to update this listing, however, the Hendricks County website does explain the transition. This is a nature park. So, it's less about recreation and more about nature. The park has a 5.5 acre pond with a floating dock along with mature wetlands. There are wildlife viewing platforms along with paved and nature trails. I really appreciate the effort to make this nature park a little more accessible. The park is open dawn to dusk. There's also a shelter that can be used. When Plainfield acquired the park, they reimbursed the county for some of the upgrades that had been done. This allowed the county to do some additional updates to nearby W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park. Plainfield has committed to continue focusing the park on conservation and working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in order to conserve the land for the betterment of the endangered Indiana bats. I love nature parks that actually reflect nature and give you a chance to experience it. I've never been around this park without actually seeing wildlife, at least when I've ventured out on the trails. It's a beautiful and well-kept park with much to enjoy. read more

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Great spot near town for short hikes or runs. Longest loop combing 3 trails is about 2.5miles. Great for all levels of activities, well maintained trails, some with lots of tree roots so watch where your walking. Beautiful little lake, public restrooms and free doggy poo bags and bins. Great spot for getting into nature whole feeling like your way outside town. read more

Sodalis Nature Park - Hiking Near Me - Plainfield, Indiana

This is a very nice nature park in Plainfield and is relatively new. It dates back to 2010 and is named after the endangered Indiana bat, myotis sodalis. You may even see one at the park if you are lucky (or unlucky depending on how you look at it). This 210 acre park has miles of paved and nature trails that are wide and well defined. There is a 5 and a half acre catch and release pond in the center of the park with benches placed for visitor to sit look out onto it. You will find a picnic shelter with picnic tables under it and grills just outside of it as well. Other park amenities include a picnic table on a dock on the lake, a viewing stand overlooking the lake, picnic tables scattered around the grounds. The park has a decent sized parking lot that is easy to get in and out of. Due to how close the park is.from the main road I would not call it very peaceful. But, you could probably venture deeper into the park's woods and find a more soothing area. The park does not have any playgrounds and I did not see any restroom facilities. This park is purely for hikers, nature lovers, bird watchers, and people looking to fish. I cannot vouch for how stocked the pond is. I will say that the guy that was fishing while I was there did not even get a bite. I really like this park. It is a diamond in the rough. It is well maintained by the city and some find it very calming. I look forward to taking another hike at this park soon. read more

This is such a cute nature park. My family found this hidden gem and we're so glad that we did. It's never packed; which is a plus for us. I don't want everyone to find out about this place; but I just can't gate keep this one. It has a nice and clean set of bathrooms at the entrance, beside the parking lot with picnic tables. There are trash cans throughout the whole park. They have bags for you to use if your bring your dog/s. It's a VERY clean park. I am so pleased with this community for taking pride in keeping it kept up with. It starts with us. If everyone works together and keeps up with their own, it will stay beautiful. There are also boards that direct you on your walk, throughout. There are quite a few different trails to travel on; Each of them being different miles. All flat terrain. The only thing that I dislike is when you get to certain parts, there is no gravel; just grass. They do have snakes in this park, so you really have to pay attention; Especially when going through the grass. Also, when it has rained, it gets pretty muddy. I really wish that they would gravel the whole entire trail. That would be awesome! They have a nice sized catch and release pond, also. Overall, this park is great! Happy trails! Linktr.ee/GreenEyedLeo read more

Well kept park with fishing, hiking trails and picnic space. Nice parking lot and the park's service is adding a bathroom structure which will be a welcomed addition. Hiking options are all relatively simple and trails all connect so you can shorten or lengthen your hike. Picnic area has paved trail around.hiking trails are on the opposite side of pond and are a combination of gravel and dirt. read more

The park is awesome. We took a great deal of photos here, as the scenery is amazing. My mom also frequents this park to fish and hike with her boyfriend and she loves it, too. A great spot for our family and I'm certain others as well. Definitely recommend (shhhh, it's still our secret) and will be back (soon!). read more

Sodalis Nature Park - Love this place! Me and my wife took maternity pics here and it has an abundance of nature which makes picture taking easy peasy. - Hiking Near Me - Plainfield, Indiana

Very pretty trails, not much litter, and reasonably well marked. There was plenty of parking, too. One trail we took was REALLY muddy. I wish they would post signs for the trails that flood. I felt bad tearing up the path as we tried to make it through. read more

This is a hidden gem in Plainfield! I stopped by on a beautiful September day! The park is way more expansive than it appears. The trails are tree lined so there is shade on hot sunny days. I brought my dogs and we enjoyed the open, clean park for a couple hours. There were many people enjoying the park on this day but It never seemed crowed. If you like fishing you can also fish on the pond they have on the property. read more

Sodalis Nature Park - Hiking Near Me - Plainfield, Indiana

We were looking for a new place to hike while on the west side of Indy and found this online. The park has amble parking. There is a walkway to the fishing area with plenty of sitting areas near it. The fishing is catch and release only. There were a few pathways with no trail numbers but pictures of beavers, leaves, etc. instead. Some of the trails had gravel and others were just natural. We walked for about an hour and enjoyed the scenery. Very quiet and not a lot of people were at this park. A hidden gem! read more

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This is a pretty nature park. Do not go expecting a playground, because there isn't one. But there is a long trail to hike that winds around the lake, where you can see beavers, and there's lots of pretty nature to observe. Along the trail are informational signs that tell you about the wildlife that lives in the area, such as bats, deer and other critters. We didn't see any of them, but I think those animals are nocturnal anyway! This is an excellent park to have a barbecue, as there are many grills and picnic benches. Lots of trees and shade, too. When we went, we saw people fishing, so you can do that, as well. Restrooms are at the entrance of the park -- basically four portable toilets. Dogs must stay on leash at all times. The park is open from dawn to dusk. read more

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Hidden away on country back roads in southeastern Hendricks County is a fairly new nature park that is very accommodating to visitors. The park, located to the south of the Indianapolis Airport expansion was created to provide a habitat for the endangered Indiana (mouse eared) bat (Myotis sodalis) whose previous habitat was displaced by the airport and Ameriplex expansion. The park is filled with new growth plantings of native Hoosier trees like ash, elm, persimmon, walnut and others. There is also an old growth section, a pond, and wetland areas. At the park entrance, there is plenty of parking and restrooms where a kiosk of park brochures can be found. The brochure is filled with information including a map showing the five trails (including distances) within the nature preserve. The trails are located on the south side of the pond and have markers at each intersection which help the visitor to identify where they are on the map. On my visit, I started with the longest trail, Oak Trace which extends 1.2 miles to the far side of the preserve. The trail is mostly a grassy trail, but does have a few leaf covered stretches which can be a little muddy. The trail is fairly level, so it is an easy hike. Along the way, you may check out display panels that contain information about the wildlife living in the preserve. At the trails end on the west side of the park, you have the choice of returning the way you came or heading through the woods on Bat Haven Trail (0.7 miles). This trail is less expansive and winds through the trees as a leaf covered path. On my visit, the leaves were slick from a recent rain and I would suggest a walking stick and boots that you aren't afraid to get muddy (I maintained my balance but slipped a few times and got mud on my shoes and pant legs.) The Bat Haven trail does have some elevation changes, but none are too drastic. There were a few fallen trees that I needed to step over. As Bat Haven ends, the Beaver Ridge trail (0.6 miles total) offers a north or south path that loops around the eastern woodlands area. I chose the north side of the path which offers a view of the pond area before reuniting and leading back to the early part of Oak Trace trail so that I could return to my vehicle. For folks who want to enjoy views of the pond, to fish, or picnic, a paved path exists to walk along the north side of the pond. There is a single shelter, but are numerous picnic tables, many with grills, that are set on round concrete slabs so that the footing is level and dry, not trampled. More information panels are located around the picnic area. My only caution is that since the preserve is meant to provide a safe haven for animals, there are no facilities/equipment along the trails other than an occasional park bench. You will need to pack your own water and will need to carry any disposable trash with you back to the entrance. The preserve is a place where you can get in touch with nature to the level of your own choosing. Since it's only fifteen minutes from my home, I am sure to be back again soon! Review #550 read more

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Great place to relax and walk. Never crowded. Convenient and well maintained. The water is always nice... great place to bird watch.

Great park for a dog walking or just being out in nature. Always plenty of parking and outdoor facilities are available too. We went there to take prom pictures, and it was amazing! read more

Nice trail system with plenty.of wildlife. Watch out for mountain bikers. Pets are welcome on a leash.

I am so stoked that I discovered this gem only a few minutes from my home. One of my favorite things about Indiana is it's ability to take you from the city to the middle of nowhere in a matter of minutes. This park is a perfect example of this. There is a huge lake, several different trails and picnic benches along the way to stop to eat if you want to bring lunch. The trails are easy and kid friendly, no mountainous terrain here. This has been my favorite discovery thus far and such a sweet, sweet surprise. read more

Sodalis Nature Park - Hiking Near Me - Plainfield, Indiana

Lovely park, wonderful trails, maintained pretty well too, I love to run on the bat trail as it has lots of winding trails and pretty forest

Hendricks County parks are one of the Indy-area's best kept secrets, in my opinion. They are so great, I don't think they should be a secret! Sodalis is near-&-dear to my heart, because I grew up in this "neighborhood" before the Indy Airport started buying all of the property. It's a small'ish park that only has about 3.5 miles of trails, but it is totally worth the drive in my opinion. Sodalis is a great little nature park that features picnic areas, a pavilion, a cute little lake (that you can fish at with a valid state fishing license, catch & release only), & great easy nature trails. If you are a beginning trail-runner, this would be a GREAT park for you to visit. The trails are wide, mostly flat'ish, and varying surface consistency. If you need to escape the city, and want a pleasant walk in the woods, Sodalis would be a great option. It's located in close proximity to I-70 at the Plainfield exit. There are chances to see local wildlife. They also have benches located along the trails, if you just want to sit down & enjoy nature without getting dirt on your pants :-). As of 6/3/15, there is not an entrance fee or a day use cost (there is a cost to reserve the shelter house). It's an amazing little park to be free! If you feel inspired after your visit though, go to their website & make a donation. There should be more free green spaces like this in communities around the state! read more

Sodalis Nature Park - From their website - Hiking Near Me - Plainfield, Indiana

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I've come here with my family many times. It's our go to park for hiking when we're in the mood for a little hiking and don't want to drive to a state park. It's got a nice sized lake and there are usually a couple of people fishing. The trails are nice and short (great for the little ones). It's also a very clean park and well maintained. The only downsides are.... 1. Stinky port-O-potties 2. If it's been raining the trails can get really muddy 3. No playground 4. Only one shelter house Other than those little inconveniences it's a great spot for an afternoon hike. read more

Sodalis Nature Park - Hiking Near Me - Plainfield, Indiana

Very nice little nature park between Plainfield and Mooresville. There is tons of parking and about four or five different trails that you can walk, each with a different theme to it. It's a very dog friendly park with lots of waste stations along the trails. There are also multiple picnic tables with each having it's own grill. A large pond / small lake in the middle offers a good spot for fishing with a floating dock on one part. As far as things for kids, unless they like fishing or walking there isn't much. A great place to go and just relax though! read more

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This is a nice place to get your nature on but they could add a little to it to make it even better.

A nice, calm, peaceful place to take a walk, fish a little (it's catch and release), or have a picnic. The park isn't huge, but it does give you the opportunity to meander around a bit and soak in the birds and other critters that hang around. It's pretty. A good place to take some pictures. The pond is pretty scummy these days though. read more

The trails aren't super long. The park is well maintained. Nothing much really going on here but a great place to get away for a short hike or a dog walk. read more